LootLocker raises $2.1M for game backend-as-service

LootLocker, the sport backend-as-a-service firm, has raised $2.1 million in a seed spherical.

The buyers embrace IA Ventures, Acequia Capital, and notable gaming veteran angel buyers like James Gwertzman (Playfab, Microsoft, A16z), Benjamin Boxer (Parsec, Unity) and Charles Songhurst (Microsoft).

Based in 2019 by video games trade serial entrepreneurs Alexander Bergendahl and Andreas Stokholm,
LootLocker offers sport builders of all sizes with the important cross-platform companies which have grow to be desk
stakes for at the moment’s profitable video games.

It helps sport builders arrange fundamental infrastructure options comparable to participant accounts and inventories, in-game commerce, and development programs. LootLocker has been in stealth mode since 2019 however it launches formally at the moment.

“We’re making an attempt to convey the backend companies into extra builders as a result of it’s such an necessary a part of video games today,” stated Alexander Bergendahl, CEO of LootLocker, in an interview with GamesBeat. “The desk stakes have been raised for any given sport. We see that the typical sport developer has groups of lower than 10 individuals. Typically they don’t have entry to one of these know-how.”

Previous to its public launch, LootLocker has already grown significantly with a whole lot of video games constructed and operating on its
platform of instruments. There are literally thousands of sport builders on the platform.

“We’re thrilled to have a tremendous group of skilled buyers and entrepreneurs supporting us,” stated Bergendahl. “The instruments we’ve created are being utilized by sport creators of all sizes, from solo builders engaged on their first sport, to huge AAA studios constructing large video games, some which might even grow to be a part of the metaverse. We’re excited to make use of this spherical of funding to proceed rising our companies to verify every crew, irrespective of their measurement, can effectively and successfully construct profitable video games.”

Brad Gillespie, normal accomplice at IA Ventures and now a LootLocker investor added in a press release, “Sport builders and rising sport studios want a backend, however at the moment they’re compelled to decide on between the daunting process of rolling
(and sustaining!) their very own, or outsourcing it to the distribution platforms and having a fragmented walled-garden expertise. We’re delighted to assist LootLocker of their formidable quest to offer the only cross-platform backend for all sport builders.”

With these new funds LootLocker plans to proceed rising its crew (lootlocker.com/careers) whereas constructing out
extra cross-platform options that empower probably the most profitable video games world wide.

“We’ve seen it occur numerous occasions: out of nowhere a sport blows up in a single day with out the mandatory programs in place to assist and maximize its success. Apart from creating every thing themselves, a lot of the accessible know-how at the moment is just not versatile or accessible sufficient for the typical developer to benefit from,” stated Stokholm, chief know-how officer of LootLocker. “Now with LootLocker, any improvement crew can immediately entry these instruments by signing up for a free account (lootlocker.com/sign-up) and be up and operating in seconds – it’s that simple.”

LootLocker has some testimonials from some sport builders.

“LootLocker provides a turn-key answer for coping with participant knowledge in a GDPR-compliant means, and permits us to dedicate extra time in the direction of creating higher video games and be assured that our backend companies are all the time up and operating,” stated Robin Hofström, CEO Nethash, maker of Rust Racers, in a press release. “Not solely that, however they provide huge financial savings for rising indie studios who want to break into the multiplayer market.”

Bergendahl stated his crew’s talents got here from having to construct their very own applied sciences themselves. Their rivals embrace Microsoft’s Playfab, Pragma, in addition to Beamable.

The corporate began signing up builders a couple of yr in the past, focusing on rising sport builders.

“We got here out of the gate actually, fairly rapidly,” Bergendahl stated. “These builders have actually huge visions, however they’re typically hobbyists. They usually’re completely satisfied to be early adopters. We’re actually proud of the expansion and the suggestions.”